


Who is the best male skater of all time

by lmizutani



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 14:42:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmizutani/pseuds/lmizutani
Summary: Yuuri, Victor and Yuri are in Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics.  During a break in their practice session, Yuuri and Yuri were talking about who is the best male skater: Evgeni Plushenko or Elvis Stojko.  So, who will reign supreme?





	Who is the best male skater of all time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sophiegaladheon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophiegaladheon/gifts).



“I'm telling you. Plushenko is the best male skater of all time,” a blonde Yuri Plitsetsky tried to convince teammate and former choreographer, Victor Nikiforov of his point of view.

 

“No, he is not. Elvis Stojko was a lot better in his day. He really should have gotten that gold medal in Nagano for showing up with a pulled groin and skated the way that he did,” Yuuri Katsuki countered.

 

The three of them were taking a break from their practice session at the Gangneung Ice Arena, the venue for the 2018 Winter Olympic Figure Skating competition.. They had arrived at the Olympic venue a couple of days before the opening ceremonies. Both Plitsetsky and Nikiforov were lucky: they were on the same floor as the legendary Plushenko who was competing in his last Olympics of his career. Katsuki had to settle rooming with fellow Japanese freestyle skiers in another building. The only time Katsuki could even see Nikiforov, and by extension Plitsetsky, or Yurio as he had been nicknamed back in Japan the previous fall, was either at the skating rink practice sessions or in the common cafeteria back in the village.

 

News of Nikoforov's return to amateur competition has already made the rounds of the international skating world. He is planning to return for the Grand Prix series, returning to his coach Yakov and his hometown of St. Petersburg.

 

Katsuki originally planned to retire from competition after the Grand Prix final, thinking that Nikiforov could not coach and compete at the same time. But after the Final, he had a change of heart and decided to continue competing – at least to finish off the year. Victor wanted to have a five time world champion as a pupil but Yuuri knew better, suggesting that they take it one season at a time.

 

As Victor took a sip of his hot cocoa, he wisely stays out of the fray between the two Yuris.

 

Yuri P. took a bite of his lunch of cheese perogies – not exactly the best type of food to eat while competing. Yuuri K. was not any better, taking a bite of his own tonkatsu – a Japanese comfort food that is the equivalent of macaroni and cheese.

 

“Plushenko does not have an artistic bone in his body. He's all about the jumps,” Yuuri K. continued his argument.

 

“Oh, and Stojko does not? Don't you remember the early years when he was nothing but jumps? Do not confuse “artistry” with “martial arts expertise,” Yurio shot back.

 

The two of them continued to volley back and forth the various merits of their own choice of best male skater, and putting in veiled barbs against the other. Victor let them continue the argument for a few more minutes, then announced that their break is over.

 

Who was the best male skater?

 

Both Yurio and Yuuri put that question to the third member of the party, literally putting poor Victor on the spot.

 

“Well, um, both skaters have their good points and they both won world championships...” he stuttered. He really did not like having to choose between the two as he liked both veteran skaters for different reasons.

 

“Oh, such a cop out,” Yuri P complained. “There has to be a winner, right?”:

 

“Not necessarily,” Victor replied. “Take a skater who had won a world championship the previous season. He was expected by everyone to take Olympic Gold the following year. However, due to circumstances beyond their control, they ended up falling short. Sometimes, they fall way short of the gold medal. One fall in the short program would do it. Major deduction. Even if they had wowed the judges and the audience during the long program, they are too far behind to catch up to win the gold medal...that is, unless the others ahead of them somehow messes up their free skate. But seriously, you do not want to win a gold medal that way, do you?”

 

“I know that during the final, JJ had problems with his short program, and fell to last place going into the free skate. He's lucky, in one sense, that he could actually do a free skate. Some skaters are not so lucky. They fall so far behind that they fall out of contention to even skate a long program.”

 

Both Yuuri K. and Yuri P. stared at Victor, wondering for a moment if he was actually talking from experience or from observation.

 

“It did happen to me one year, just as my career in the senior division was starting. I was a little too flippant, thinking that I would just take on the world, that I am King of the World, to misquote another actor in another story. Boy, did I learn the hard way that winning the championship was not as easy as keeping yourself upright. A lot of the judges at the time were very critical of my programs, of my lack of artistic ability as it was called back in the day. So, someone suggested I take ballet lessons. That's how I met Yakov and his ex-wife, Lilia. They both taught me discipline and technique as well as grace on the ice.”

 

“Yuuri, you have that natural flow that moves with the ice and with the music. What you did not have is the confidence to pull it off on a consistent basis.”

 

“Yuri, you have the jumps and the technique. What you did not have is something that is more intangible. A spark that lights up the room, like Yuri has. It's creating magic on the ice. It's drawing the audience into your program, into your story.”

 

The two younger skaters thought for a moment. But they were still unconvinced that their favourite skater was **not** the best skater ever. Even if they had their bad days and bad skates and bad competition results.

 

“So, instead of arguing who is the best skater, why not take the best that your favourite skater has, and move with it. Improve on it. Learn from their mistakes. Be a better skater. I want the two of you to not be a copy of me. I want the two of you to surpass me. You both did that during the final. I want you two to do it again. I want to push the two of you to be the best that you can be. That is what being the best skater is all about.”

 

And on that note, Victor, had taken his last sip of his hot chocolate, put on his skates and started to take the two Yuris through their paces as they continued their practice session.

 

“The Olympic gold medal is nice, but it is not the be all and end all. Skating the best of your ability is what would be more satisfying than winning the medal.”

 

“Well, maybe so, but it is a nice thing to have, wouldn't you agree?”

“I will admit to it being a nice thing to have but there are other things more important than that.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Skating your personal best, knowing that you have given your all, without regrets. When you retire, and you will do so at some point, the best way is to do so without any regrets. Or at least as little as possible.”

 

“Did you regret taking a break from skating?”

 

Victor thought for a moment. “No, I don't regret taking a break. I would not have met Yuuri if I didn't and that made it all worth it. But enough talk. It's time to get back on the ice. Let's go.”

 

The three of them put their skates back on and went back on the ice. Break's over and the question remained unresolved, but it did not matter.

 

 


End file.
